Sixth year X 2
by broomstick flyer
Summary: Hermione’s Sixth year xmas holiday began ok, then a knock on the door turned it into a nightmare, a fatal accident and a dream led to her marriage with the man she loved, a ritual, and the end of Voldemort.


Disclaimer. As usual I don't own Harry Potter, or any of the characters, things, or animals, that are mentioned in the Harry Potter books. J K Rowlings does. I can also very proudly claim that I have never condoned an abusive relationship like some well known books of famous writers do.

Year six x two

As she crossed the platform walking toward her mother and father Hermione Jane Granger's mind was on the past four months, and not on the Christmas holiday she was just beginning. She happily had been able to successfully distance her self from Harry Potter, her former best friend. She wasn't too proud of herself in the way she had driven him away, she had become nasty and bitchy toward him, but the thing that had finally stopped him talking to her had been when she had called him a cheat in the potion class. It had needed to be done even though it had torn her up inside when she had seen the hurt and deep pain in his eyes, but she did not let it show that she still cared for him.

She had made a logical choice that summer and she was determined to stick to that choice, she could not allow her self to love some one who might not live to see graduation next year, so pushing thoughts of Harry Potter aside she smiled as she wondered how she could get Ron Weasley the boy she had chosen for a boyfriend, away from Lavender Brown.

As she looked up at her parents and tried to shrug off the thoughts about Harry that were playing on her mind, she heard her name almost whispered by someone behind her.

"Granger."

Turning to see who called her name she was shocked to suddenly find her self being held by her shoulders and kissed passionately by the very ex-best friend she had been thinking about. It was not a long kiss as kisses go, but it was a kiss that took her breath away and made her knees weak.

By the time her brain restarted and she realised what was happening Harry was walking away after saying a quiet goodbye. Before she could move or say anything he was gone, having mingled into the crowd of commuters leaving her standing with a look of shock on her face.

Hermione's mum Helen, stood watching open mouthed as the handsome young man kissed her daughter and then made off at almost a run. Hermione's father was staring at the place where the young man had vanished into the crowd. Both of them were almost as shocked as Hermione was.

On the journey home Hermione refused to talk about what had happened, she also refused to say anything about the last term. When her mother asked about Harry and Ron, Hermione would only talk about Ron and how he had spent the term stuck to the lips of Lavender Brown. Not once did she say the name Harry.

Helen could tell that something serious had happened but she decided to wait until her daughter was ready to talk about it, as for the boy who had kissed Hermione, well she thought it may well have been Harry, but once again her only child refused to say anything about it, almost as if it had never happened.

Richard slightly worried by the lack of the usual enthusiasm Hermione had while telling them all about the previous term, decided to leave it to his wife to find out what was wrong, as he parked the car in the garage when they arrived home; from there Helen led the way through the side door of the garage into the kitchen. Hermione, her thoughts replaying the kiss at Kings Cross immediately headed upstairs to unpack her trunk, while her mother took their coats out to hang them up in the foyer.

Helen was quite surprised to see a battered old trunk sitting just inside their front door, on the top of it was stuck an envelope addressed to Hermione J Granger. Pulling the envelope off the trunk she took it into the living room and placed it on the coffee table. Fifteen minutes later Hermione entered the living room having unpacked all but a few small items, she sat down on the sofa ready to relax. Helen passed the letter over to her daughter and explained where she had found it.

Hermione looked at the messy scrawl she knew to be Harry's writing. Wondering what he was playing at and whether it had anything to do with the kiss she opened the letter and began to read…

_Miss Granger._

_I was going to throw this stuff away but I remembered that second hand shop that Mrs Weasley likes to browse in, so I asked Dobby to deliver it to your house in the hope you can find someone who can make good use of the contents. _

_Early this morning with the help of the Goblins and using the mental link I had with him plus a very simple ritual I was able to rid the world of Tom Riddle, so I no longer have any use for them. _

_Because the only reason I had to remain in the magical world after Riddle, the one person in the wizarding world who stood by me through everything has finally deserted me I decided to leave it all behind, and move on in the Muggle world, where I will remain. _

_Without you in my life as my anchor I can not live in your world where everyone hates me one week and loves me the next, so I find I no longer have a use for Hogwarts or the items associated with that place and that life._

_Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you are able to enjoy your life now that I am no longer around to mar that enjoyment. _

_Happy Christmas. _

_H. J. Potter._

Hermione rushed into the foyer to find Harry's trunk there, opening it up she found everything Harry owned apart from his fathers cloak and his photo album. On top of his school robes sat two halves of a wand, a wand she recognised immediately.

Dropping the letter as she fell to her knees and picked up the two wand halves she whispered in a sad disappointed voice "Oh Harry what have you done?"

As Hermione dropped to her knees, Helen picked up the letter and read it through. "Hermione love, I think you should be asking what have you done? Not, 'what has Harry done'. You do know that that boy was completely and fully in love with you?"

A week later a very miserable Hermione sat silently at the dining table, her two silent parents were still speaking to her only when they had to. After opening Harry's trunk and hearing her mother declare that Harry had been in love with her, she had told them how she had chosen Ron to be her boyfriend, and how she had distanced herself from Harry and she even went as far as telling them how she had treated him, in the hopes that they would know some way she could put things right again if and when they found Harry. Instead of offering their help and advice they had both been disgusted with her for how she had done what she had done to Harry.

Her father was still after a week of silence, angry and ashamed that he had failed to bring his daughter up as a compassionate and loving person, and he had been quite loud in informing her what he thought of her choice of boyfriend. His last words to her had truly hurt her, and made her realise just how cruel she had been to the first person to ever accept her for who she was and as his friend.

As Richard had moved the trunk into a closet, Helen had wanted to know what the prophecy was that made her daughter desert and betray her very first and best friend. The boy who had become that best friend had done so by risking his own life for her by saving her from a vicious Troll.

Once Hermione had told them the prophecy, her father Richard had something to say. In a quiet and yet angry voice he began "Hermione, I never thought that I would have to say this, but I am truly ashamed of you. How could you treat the boy who saved your life in such a way over a prophecy that had already been fulfilled? Harry vanquished that killer nearly seventeen years ago when he was marked with that scar, it is obvious that he used the power Voldemort had no knowledge of to survive, while Voldemort's body did not, thus fulfilling the prophecy. I can see that and I only know a fraction of what is happening in the world of magic, I always thought you a better person than that."

And so as they sat in the strained silence of the dining room, Hermione prayed that she would soon have the chance to beg Harry's forgiveness. The thunderous knock on the front door brought all the Grangers from their thoughts with a jerk. Richard answered the door just after the second rather loud knock; he intended to tell the person knocking about the art of using a door knocker. That is until he opened the door to find two police officers.

"Good evening sir, is this the residence of a Hermione Granger?" the taller of the two officers asked.

"Yes Hermione is my daughter. Is there something wrong officer?" Richard asked as he wracked his brain trying to think of something Hermione might have done wrong.

"Could we have a word with your daughter please? We are hoping she can be of assistance to us in clearing up an inquiry into a fatal traffic accident." The second officer asked sounding far more polite than the first one.

Richard led the two men into the dining room, and introduced them to Helen and Hermione. The polite one of the two officers introduced himself as P.C. Addage, and then turning to Hermione he held out a rather small piece of parchment, "Do you recognise this Miss Granger?"

Hermione recognised her own writing, it was the parchment that contained her name and phone number, she had given it to Harry at the end of their first year. "Yes I gave this to my… er to a friend some time ago… how did you acquire it?"

The taller officer spoke to Richard quietly "We have an accident victim down at the morgue, over in Greater Whinging. This was the only thing in his wallet that had a name on it. It being worn and faded I'm afraid it took us an entire day to trace the name and phone number. Would you be willing to allow your daughter to visit the morgue to see if she can identify the body, we can then verify whether the young man is her friend or not and we can then possibly inform any relatives so they can make preparations for disposal of the body."

Richard looked into his daughters now tear filled eyes "Can you do this sweetheart?" he asked showing the first sign of his love for her since they put away Harry's trunk. He and his wife Helen might have been angry at her for what she had done but they were her parents and nothing would stop them loving her.

Hermione nodded slowly to her father while dreading what they might find at the morgue. Richard made arrangements to meet with the two officers the following morning in Greater Whinging. That night as the Grangers went to bed each one of them prayed that they would not find Harry James Potter at the end of their journey in the morning.

Hermione's heart and soul broke when she saw the broken body of her best friend lying on a cold concrete slab with a small label attached to the big toe on his left foot. She was only allowed to see one side of his face; apparently the other side had been disfigured beyond the ability of the morticians to rebuild it. The tears were streaming down Hermione's face as she let the officers know with a simple nod of her head that it was indeed Harry James Potter, of four privet drive Little Whinging.

One of the officers tried to ease their suffering by telling them how he had died, and that he would have known nothing about it. "It seems your friend Harry had been sitting in a café enjoying an early morning cup of tea; according to the waitress he had sat with his back to the wall so that he was facing the entrance as though he was watching the door for some one. Out side an articulated truck had lost a wheel causing it to careen across the road and into the side of the café. It had hit the wall exactly where Harry was sitting. The boy never stood a chance and was killed instantly as the truck crashed through the wall." Richard and Helen were told as they all left the room.

Once they arrived home Helen Granger headed for the kitchen to make them all a strong fresh cup of tea so she could put off thinking about Harry for a little while longer. Richard headed for his study, where he could think about the boy he had expected to become his son in law, in the solitude the room offered.

Hermione slowly dragging her feet made her way up to her bedroom and collapsed on to the bed. Her tears were still falling; she had never felt so hurt and broken. She blamed herself for Harry's death, if she had treated him right he would never have left Hogwarts castle or been in that café. It was now she learned that no matter how logical you are, you can not stop your heart from loving who it chooses. She had made a mistake, the biggest mistake she could have ever made, and now there was no way in the world of putting that mistake right, the man she loved was spending his last Christmas lying on a cold slab of stone in the mortuary.

It was some hours later when Hermione finally cried her self to sleep. But her sleep was no more peaceful than the hours before had been as she tossed and turned restlessly as she dreamt of all the times she had spent with Harry. Times when their lives had been bound together by the bonds of love and trust, times she would never forget, times before she broke that bond before she broke his heart. Slowly her dreams began to reveal to her what it seemed everyone else knew. Harry Potter had loved her. He had loved her far more than a sister, or a best friend. He had loved her unconditionally for a long time. As her dreams unfolded she saw the times he had displayed that love for the entire world to see, a world in which she was the only one who did not see how he felt. Even in her dreams she asked herself why she had not seen it until it was too late.

Hermione's last dream changed and took on a truly surreal look and feel to it, she felt she was awake and yet could not wake her self up. She found her self walking through pure white clouds, as though she was in heaven. After walking alone for quite some time she started to see people scattered about. Then she found herself standing in front of Sirius Black, Lily and James Potter and an old bearded man she did not know. Behind them quite some way off stood Harry, he was looking around as though he was lost, it was as though he didn't know yet that he was dead.

Lily looked at Hermione as she tried to reach Harry, "Hermione, you can't reach him, because of what you have done he's lost to you for all time," Lily said as she took hold of the younger woman's shoulders and turned her to face her.

"No… no… I need him to know I love him. I need him to know just how sorry I am for what I did. Please let me speak to him, please… please," Hermione begged.

"Hermione Jane Granger, look one last time on your soul mate. You broke your soul bond so you must suffer being apart for all time, look upon him one last time before you are cast from the family," the old man said in a cold gravely voice.

Hermione looked at the old man as though he were crazy, "What are you talking about, what soul bond, what soul mate?" she asked in surprise and shock. The very idea of never seeing Harry again, even in the after life was horrifying to her. She simply could not imagine a worse punishment for what she had done.

It was Lily who spoke next "Hermione, Harry was your soul mate, your husband; surely Dumbledore told you when you bonded?"

"Honestly, I don't know what you are all talking about," Hermione said offering to swear on her life and magic that she was being truthful.

"Hermione child, Dumbledore confirmed you knew the particulars in the book of souls, details of the night you and Harry bonded. Here look," the old man said as he conjured up an ancient book "in your third year, the night you set Sirius free. You and Harry stood under the clock tower and kissed for several minutes before you went back to the hospital wing."

Hermione stared wide eyed at the people who were all watching her reaction, "I'm not even completely sure what a soul mate is," she murmured then lifting her hand she spoke solemnly, "I Hermione Jane Granger, as far as I recall have only ever kissed Harry James Potter once and that was a fleeting peck on his cheek at Kings Cross station, I also swear that to my knowledge Harry James Potter has never kissed me until just a few days ago, this I swear, so mote it be."

Lily looked at the magical light as it faded around Hermione; it was obvious to all of them that she was telling the truth as she knew it. Gripping Hermione gently by her shoulders Lily smiled. "When you and my son shared your first real kiss, through the powers of heaven and magic you became his wife. That's what it means to be his soul mate, you were created for each other, and your marriage would be accepted by all in the magical world. It is a marriage that should last for all eternity." Lily told the younger woman.

The old man looked shocked for a moment, and then he began to scratch his beard. "It seems that you are telling the truth Hermione. That means that as head of the wizengamot, and the only one with unrestricted access to the records and 'you', Albus Dumbledore found yet another way to manipulate Harry yet again.

He must be truly desperate to go to such lengths, and had to have had help from the demons of the dark side to cover his ability to alter what people see in the book of souls and keep that knowledge even from us. Why he wanted your bond either broken or prevented we may never know, but no mortal has the power to affect the magic of heaven in such a way, to remove yours and Harry's memory of your soul bond would be impossible for a mortal. For this crime of using some demon from the dark side and destroying a soul bond Albus Dumbledore's life will be forfeit and cut short before this years end. His reward for this, and what he has done to your soul mate for these past sixteen years, will be to spend his afterlife in fires of hell.

As for you Hermione Jane Potter, you will be given the benefit of the doubt, your soul bond reinstated and you will be returned to begin this year afresh. Do not make the same mistake again for there will be no other chance of eternal happiness for you."

Those were the last words Hermione heard as the strange dream faded away to be replaced by a dream of being in a bed with a very sexy and extremely passionate Harry James Potter.

The next morning Hermione woke up later than usual and made her way sleepily down to the kitchen and breakfast while thinking about the weird dreams she had had. She noticed the change in her parent's attitudes as soon as they greeted her with full smiles showing in their eyes on seeing her entering the room. They seemed to be back to the way they were before the she had told them of her betrayal of Harry, before the whole horrid year had started, before yesterday when they had been to identify the body of the man she had loved.

Helen placed a full plate of breakfast in front of her tired looking daughter and smiled "I suppose you stayed up half the night working again?" she asked with a smile.

Sleepily Hermione nodded her head as she played absently with the food on her plate. Richard looked up and noticed the dark rings around his daughters eyes "How about we take the day off today, we can grab our costumes and head for the beach, what do you say sweetheart?" he asked.

For a few seconds Hermione looked at her father as though he was crazy, and then she noticed that there was sunshine casting beams of warm light across the kitchen table. Looking up she soon realised it was no longer the cold depths of winter outside as it had been when she went to bed, now the winter grey clouds, the ice and frost were gone, outside it was a bright sunny summer day, and the warmth of the sun filled the room.

The words of the old man 'you will return to begin this year afresh' echoed in her mind. Just seconds later realizing what it could all mean she rushed from the kitchen into the living room. Grabbing up the telephone book she searched for the small yellow stick-it-note that held the telephone number of the Dursleys house.

Just two minutes later she dialled the number, she remembered what had happened with Ron when he had once tried to ring Harry, and she thought of what to say if it was not Harry who answered the phone. "Hello… can I speak to a Mr Harry Potter please… yes it's miss Granger from the library," Hermione said hesitantly as Petunia Dursley answered the phone call to Harry she had made. She let out a huge sigh of relief when she heard Harry's aunt ask her to hold on while she went to fetch him to the phone.

"Hello… this is Harry Potter, can I help you?" Harry's voice asked sounding full of despair and sadness.

Hermione had to force herself to speak as the soaring happy feeling she got in her heart when she heard his voice made her catch her breath. "It's me Harry. Pack your stuff we are coming to fetch you from that awful place." She declared as she held one hand to her chest and felt the pounding of her heart beginning to slow down a little.

"Hermione?... er… what about Dumbledore?" Harry stammered, he had not expected to hear from anyone for at least a couple of weeks. "I've only been home for one night; there is no way he will let me leave yet. He already has my warders patrolling the street outside."

"Harry, I want you to be ready to leave in two hours. Forget about Dumbledore for now, I have something to tell you about him, but I'll leave that till later, two hours Harry and we will pick you up ok," Hermione said in her 'I wont take no for an answer voice'.

Harry chuckled to him self, he could tell Hermione had her knickers in a twist over something, though he would never dare say that to her, "Okay Hermione, see you in two hours."

Harry had spent most of the previous night at Privet Drive feeling guilty, because he felt far more guilty and upset over Hermione being hurt than he felt about his godfather Sirius dying. On the train journey to London he had realised that he could never replace his father, even with his fathers' best friend. That thought made him come to the conclusion that he had not known Sirius very well at all.

Sirius was simply an acquaintance who he had placed his hopes of a brighter future on; thanks to the ministry and Dumbledore they had never really had any time together to get to know each other properly. Wanting to know the man better, wanting to acknowledge him as a replacement father figure, wanting Sirius to be free so that he could live with him, were all the simple manifestations of his deep seated desire to leave the home of his hated aunt and uncle.

His knew since the night at D.o.M his feelings for Hermione however were the feelings of the love a man has for the woman his heart has chosen, love that was forged through hardships and companionship, love grown strong and deep over a long period of time together. He knew his world began and ended with Hermione, the woman who had been his best friend for five years, the woman without whom he knew could not live. As he finally drifted off to sleep he knew that even though he was only sixteen, she would always come first in his life no matter what happened because he was in love with her. The last thought he had before he fell asleep was '_because she is my wife'_

Packing his trunk while he ate his meagre breakfast of a leftover slice of cold dry toast and a cup of tea, in which he was allowed neither milk nor sugar, he wondered what she had found out about Dumbledore. Had she found out something about the prophecy, or had she found out something else about the manipulating old man and his stupid 'it's for the greater good idiocy'.

Harry had to stop his packing for several minutes when he thought of Dumbledore and his stupidity that had already led to his life with people who hated him, the death of Cedric and Sirius and who knew how many more, taking deep breaths to try to calm down once again the anger he was feeling toward the headmaster, he put his tea and toast on his rickety little table. He knew he needed to lose his anger or he might well cause another incident with accidental magic, and no doubt the ministry would be arresting him before the sparks settled. Getting his temper under control took quite some doing as he remembered the reluctant way Dumbledore had told him things he should have been told years before, things he should have known so that he could have been prepared. Things that if he had known them, he would not have been fooled and would have been ready and prepared for the things that had happened to him, and those around him, and he felt he could have prevented several needless deaths, he also felt there was something else he should know, something the old fool was hiding from him, he would ask the old man when he got back to school.

In his anger it took him more than an hour to pack his few meagre belongings into his trunk and as he slammed down the lid, the knowledge that Hermione was coming to rescue him finally settled fully into his mind. The happiness he suddenly felt even at the idea of seeing her again reminded him of just how much he was in love with her, and his anger simply disappeared.

Nearly losing Hermione to Dolohov's curse at the battle in the ministry had made him change his mind and his priorities about what he intended to do with his life. He no longer felt that he should step back from a romantic relationship with her just to make way for Ron, even if his red haired friend had professed to him his love for her. He was no longer going to forfeit his own happiness for some one who hurt her feelings so often, made her cry and showed no respect for the things she believed in.

This year he had made his mind up he was going to try to get closer hopefully become her boyfriend and maybe eventually even ask her to marry him and pray she felt the same as he did. He had finally realised that he, like everyone else deserved his chance at happiness and that happiness for him could only be found with Hermione Jane Granger. Some where in his mind there was a thought trying to come forward, something about Hermione, something about his wife

Back at the Granger house.

Richard and Helen Granger sat with their mouths hanging open, and their eyes almost popping out of their sockets when Hermione returned to the kitchen, and pleaded with them as though her life depended on it, to take her to a place called Little Whinging in Surrey to collect the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.

"I take it you're referring to Harry?" Richard said as he smiled uncertainly at his anxious daughter.

Helen grinned at the pleading look Hermione was giving her dad "So what is so important that makes you so eager to see Harry again so soon. After all you only wished him a happy summer last night?" she asked as she sat and smiled at Hermione.

"Mum, dad, Harry needs me. You know it's less than a week ago his godfather was murdered right in front of him. Dumbledore has sent him to a place where he is detested by vile cruel relatives who will if given the chance push him into the depths of despair. Harry needs his wife to be with him through this, he really needs me now." Hermione pleaded.

Hermione's slip calling her self his wife did not go unnoticed by her parents, but they let it go for the moment. Hermione's almost desperate need to get Harry away from his relatives was affecting them because what they knew of the boy, they liked. It did not take long to put on their coats and get the car out of the garage.

Two hours later Mundungus Fletcher silently watched as three people arrived in a rather new looking muggle carriage. He watched from his vantage point under his invisibility cloak as the youngest of the three led the way to the front door and knocked.

Petunia Dursley hearing the polite knock on the front door walked briskly from the kitchen and opened the door. Before she could say a single word she was forced back into the house several steps before she fell back on to her bony backside. The human tornado that tore past her and headed up the stairs was followed into the house by an extremely angry man and woman who had heard from Hermione about her vile treatment of her nephew.

As Petunia opened her mouth to speak she heard the melodic voice of a girl call from upstairs "Six locks… six bloody locks, wait till I get my hands on the pigs that dare do this to my husband."

Petunia realising that the person who had rushed past her was a witch took in a deep breath and began to shout "FREAK, LEAVE MY HOUSE NOW YOU FREAKS WHORE."

The painful and sudden 'thwack' that silenced Petunia, came from a clenched female fist, and was followed by the second balled fist of Helen Granger. As Petunia fell to the hall carpet unconscious, Vernon Dursley managed to waddle in from the kitchen asking in a loud voice what the hell was going on. Just seconds later he was cowering on the floor and whimpering like a baby as Richard Granger begged the fat coward to stand up so that he could knock him down again. When Vernon refused to move, Richard dragged him to his feet by his tie and then thumped the evil coward four times before his grossly over weight body reached the same piece of carpet his wife lay on.

Hermione rushed into the Dursley house past Petunia without even thinking of stopping. Her temper flared when she saw for the first time the six locks on the outside of Harry's bedroom. When she had undone the locks and entered in to the bedroom her breath caught. Sitting on the only piece of furniture in the room, a broken and battered child's bed was Harry. Looking around the room she saw that Harry had just a small piece of free area around his bed, the rest of the room was filled to the ceiling with broken and discarded toys and games.

Just two seconds after entering his room Hermione threw her self into his waiting arms and pulled him into a passionate kiss. The resulting flare of light and the amazing feeling of happiness that accompanied the kiss surprised the two Grangers who were still standing over the two Dursleys. Both of them had heard and remembered the words wife and husband and from reading Hermione's books they had an idea what was happening Harry Potter was their son in law.

Time seemed to have stopped for Harry and Hermione as they kissed, they both felt an enormous release of magic as their lips met. It was more than five minutes later when they finally separated from that first kiss, with the release of so much magic both of them were exhausted and ready to sleep, and both of them remembered their first kiss.

Ten minutes after they entered the house Mundungus stood and watched as the three people left the Dursley house. He grinned when he watched the young woman open the back door to the carriage then turn to blow a kiss toward the door of the house, "bye Harry, see you at school," he heard her shout before she climbed into the carriage and closed the door.

A minute later Mundungus returned to his game of solitaire now that the excitement at Potters house was over for the day, he had no idea that Harry had donned his own invisibility cloak and had climbed into the back of the Grangers car as Hermione was saying goodbye.

In the back of the car as Richard drove them home, Hermione explained to Harry about their soul bond, what it meant and how when they had first kissed and bonded the magical world saw them as man and wife. Dumbledore had somehow managed to summon a demon to wipe their memory of their bonding and he had also changed the book of bonded people at the ministry. She was really worried as she explained it all, would Harry want her that way, would he be angry that she had not told him before she had kissed him so passionately, would he refuse to talk to her. To her immense relief she saw the huge smile that slowly spread across Harry's face.

"Well that buggers my plans up," he said chuckling a little "I had it all worked out, this year I was going to try and be your boyfriend and after sufficient time I was going to ask you to marry me, don't suppose I have to go through all that nerve wracking stuff now. So how does it feel to be Mrs Potter?"

Hermione had never felt so happy, "brilliant," she replied as she pulled him into another toe curling kiss that filled the car with a bright golden light. Both Helen and Richard were thankful that people who did not know about magic would not be able to see the light that filled the car and surrounded them as they drove down the road.

After their kiss ended they talked a little about their future as well as their past and what Dumbledore had done. She wasn't certain why Dumbledore had done it, the only explanation she could see that fitted what she knew was Dumbledore wanted to keep them apart so Harry would marry some unknown pureblood, even though he knew they were soul-mates.

Harry had to agree with her as he thought about some of the things that had happened during their time at Hogwarts. "Hermione, do you think Dumbledore has been planning this for a long time, I mean every summer he sent you to the Burrow for at least a week before he sent me there, perhaps he was trying to get you and Ron together. He stopped you writing to me last summer, and he's told you not to contact me this summer. He knew from the sudden sad look in her eyes that he had hit on something though he wasn't sure what.

As Harry spoke about the headmaster wanting her and Ron to get together, Hermione remembered all she had done the last time she had lived this year, and once again she swore to herself that she would never do anything even remotely similar now she had a second chance with the man she loved.

As they ate dinner later that day the Potters and Grangers discussed the prophecy. Richard pointed out that the prophecy having been made before Harry was born was fulfilled on that awful Halloween when his parents were murdered. His part in Voldemort's down fall had been accomplished and now that he was a married man he had other responsibilities to think about.

The anger and annoyance the four felt at Dumbledore's interference in their lives led them to decide they should forget all about Hogwarts and the British magical world for a while. The decision to take a long holiday abroad was made and just two days later they made a visit to Gringotts where Harry was able to claim his inheritance. A simple slip of the tongue by Harry as they were almost finished with the Potter banking business had his Goblin account manager sit up abruptly, "Mr Potter, did you just say that Voldemort was being kept alive by using a Horcrux?" the Goblin asked seriously.

Harry not knowing what to do about his slip simply nodded, he was completely surprised by reaction of the Goblin, as the small being slammed his hand down on his desk and said loudly "YES!"

Harry and Hermione along with the Granger's stared at the open doorway where the Goblin had just rushed from the room, they then looked at each other. It was then that Hermione remembered that in his letter Harry said that using a simple ritual he and the Goblins had rid the world of Voldemort.

Two Minutes later seven Goblins walked quickly into the room, Harry's account manager looked at Harry and asked "Is it true that Voldemort used some of your blood to gain his body?"

Harry with a confused look on his face confirmed that that was how Riddle had indeed got his body. Hermione had never seen a sight like it as the seven Goblins all rubbed their hands together with a look of joy on their faces.

"Mr Potter, might I trouble you for a little of your blood?" one of the Goblins asked holding up a small golden chalice.

Harry fascinated by what was happening held out his hand to the Goblin who promptly cut into Harry's palm and let the dripping blood run into the chalice. Once he had enough of Harry's blood the Goblin did a quick spell over the injury and all trace of the cut on Harry's hand vanished. With that done the Goblin then passed the chalice around what had become a circle of Goblins with Harry standing in the middle. Each Goblin in turn allowed seven drops of their blood to drip into the chalice adding it to Harry's blood.

The oldest Goblin then took the chalice and stood in front of Harry, with his finger he stirred the blood then he painted seven small runes on Harry's forehead. Then placed the chalice on the floor at Harry's feet and stepped back in the circle.

"This may hurt just a little," one of the Goblins said as they all began to chant in an ancient Goblin language. Just over two minutes later hovering above the chalice a small green mist appeared, Harry flinched in pain as it was joined by one that seemed to come from his own head.

Slowly over the next five minutes, watched by the Grangers and Hermione a green misty version of Voldemort began to develop. Hermione stared at the green misty shape of Voldemort it was complete except for a small area where the heart should be. The Goblins suddenly increased both the speed and volume of their chant and then on the seventh minute the last piece of the misty Voldemort appeared.

As the final part completed the green fog like form of Voldemort Harry joined in the chant, as soon as Harry began the chant and the form of Voldemort was complete the blood in the chalice began to boil, the steam from the boiling blood soaked into the ghostly form of Tom Riddle who let out a completely inhuman scream as it was sucked into to a blackened and burned chalice.

The chant stopped and silence descended on the room for several seconds, it was only broken when Harry asked "What just happened?"

The elder Goblin looked at Harry for a few seconds before he spoke, "When you vanquished Voldemort all those years ago, you did in fact kill him. The reason he was able to remain in this realm was the Horcrux that anchored his spirit, the one in your head. The Voldemort that appeared to have come back to live again was simply a spirit that possessed that magical body they conjured through dark and evil ways.

When Mr Griphook heard you say Horcrux he knew he had found the answer to something that has been puzzling we Goblins since Voldemort returned. Voldemort was not a living being, he was a spirit and as we all know spirits can be exorcised. What we just did was magically exorcised the spirit that was possessing your blood. It was unfortunate for the dark lord that he had chosen your blood when conjuring a body. As magical exorcism rids the possessed of the whole spirit any remaining Horcrux's were forced to rejoin the spirit. Voldemort is no more, he now resides in Hades where he will no doubt pay for his crimes.

There are many words that might have described the feelings that flowed through Harry as he concluded his business with the bank, but the main one was anger. Blazing anger flowed through Harry's blood, and it was all focused on Albus Dumbledore, Harry had realised what the old fool had been keeping from him was the fact that a part of Riddle, the part that had helped Riddle to survive was there in Harry's head. Had it been known, had the fool revealed the truth, the exorcism could have been performed years ago, dozens if not hundreds of lives could have been saved.

Leaving the bank both Harry and Hermione decided they should leave the country as soon as possible, they did not know what they would do if they saw the manipulating old idiot again.

The following day the Potters and Grangers climbed aboard a British airways jet on route for the Caribbean and a private island that belonged to the Potter family.

At Hogwarts School.

Albus Dumbledore checked all the little tracking and monitoring trinkets that buzzed whirred or puffed away on the shelf behind his chair, smiling to himself he sat back down and started work on his plan to get Miss Granger to the Burrow in the next few days. The sudden claxon like sound that filled his office almost made him fall from his chair. It was the warning charm to let him know that the wards on number four Privet drive had collapsed. Dumbledore almost panicked as he looked over his shoulder, all his little trinkets indicated that all was well at the Dursley house, he was confused and he did not like being confused, it was not something he was used too.

It was an extremely angry leader of the Order of the Phoenix that called an emergency meeting that evening, he had been to the Dursley house only to discover that Potter had left there three weeks before, on checking his tracking and monitoring charms he found that though all his trinkets indicated they were still working, the spells he had placed on Potter no longer existed. He also found he could not switch off the buzzing whirring and puffing coming from the trinkets and he had ended up obliterating them with a powerful reducto spell.

Harry Potter had had three weeks to go where ever he liked and Dumbledore had no idea where that might be. He ranted and raved at the people who were supposed to make sure that the boy remained at Privet drive, but no matter how much he yelled none of them had any idea of how Harry had left the house without them knowing. Search parties were organised and the ministry was called in to help when Dumbledore told them that Harry Potter had been kidnapped.

That same day at Euston station in London a young man returning from his holiday in the Caribbean carried out the favour he had promised to do for his new friends. He looked at the oddly addressed envelopes in his hand, one said 'Albus Dumbledore', Scotland. And the other said 'Ron Weasley', The Burrow England, shrugging his shoulders he thought, _'Harry had been so sure they would be delivered, who am I to argue?_' he pushed the two thick envelopes into the post box and then headed for the platform where he would catch the train home to Manchester.

Albus Dumbledore opened the letter he had received and read the contents, he finished reading it with a tear running down his cheek. He knew he would never see Harry Potter again, all his plans to rule the magical world and run things his way, had fallen apart. What hurt the old man the most was Harry's accusation, an accusation that Dumbledore knew was true. He had become that which he had spent his life fighting.

'_Dear Dark Lord Dumbledore._

_You can call off your fruitless search for me, I am in a place that you will never find, but if by any chance you should find me, there is no way on this earth that I would fight with or for the dark side, and you old man are most definitely on the dark side. How many people have died because an old idiot like you thinks he knows what's best for everyone. Quick news flash for you Albus, what you do to people is worse than anything Voldemort ever did. At least with him they knew what would happen. With you and your lies and deceit, your refusal to listen to anyone, people around you simply never know they are about to die, or when they will be obliviated._

_Oh yes about your futile attempt to destroy the bond between my wife and I, it failed and you old fool are going to pay a very high price for your crimes. You will not live to see the end of this year, of that you can be certain._

_So dark lord Dumbrains this is good bye._

_H. J. Potter_.

Albus Dumbledore sadly picked up one of his lemon drops and popped it into his mouth. Placing Harry's letter down on his desk he leaned back and took in a breath as if to sigh, as he did so the lemon drop was sucked into his wind pipe. Albus Dumbledore choked to death while trying to find his wand.

The day after Dumbledore's funeral Minerva McGonagall moved her things into the head teachers' office. Picking up a letter from Harry Potter that had been left on the desk she absently played with the wand that had been left lying underneath the letter. "Seems Harry knew you well Albus," she commented to the sleeping portrait on the wall. Dumbledore's portrait would become famous for being the only one that never woke up.

Ron Weasley sat eating his breakfast, well, his fifth helping of breakfast, when a strange owl arrived and delivered a letter to him. Recognising the writing he happily opened it. Thoughts that he would soon be bedding Hermione running through his mind, he was rather pleased with himself that he along with his mother and sister had helped Dumbledore separate Harry and Hermione, for a few moments he revelled in thoughts of how Hermione would treat Potter all year, the way she would be practically throwing her self at 'Ron Weasley Quidditch captain', while he snogged Lavender and Parvati. He wondered if his bed was comfortable enough to have sex with Granger when she begged for it during her stay this year. Pulling out of his thoughts of what he would have her doing to him he opened the letter he knew was from her.

'_Ron, _

_Harry and I will not be visiting you at the Burrow this year, actually we will probably never see you again, so I suppose this is really a goodbye letter, say goodbye to the Gryffindors for us._

_We have found a wonderful place to settle down and raise our family and we are both looking forward to a very happy future. Oh yes my sweet darling husband says to say both hi and goodbye to the rest of the Weasleys for him. _

_Well that's about it I suppose, I would say keep in touch, but post owls have no way of finding us here._

_Bye._

_Harry and Hermione Potter. _

A very angry Ron Weasley splattered his mother with a spray of partly chewed egg. "MARRIED, THEY CAN'T BE SODDING MARRIED," he yelled throwing the letter down on to the table. "That bastard Potter get's everything, I bloody hate the sod with a passion, pass me the bacon over Gin."

"Who's married?" Molly Weasley his mother asked as she picked up the letter and read. "That scarlet bitch, I'll kill the bitch stealing my Ginny's future husband," she hissed screwing up the letter.

Ginny Weasley sat with tears running down her cheeks "That prick was supposed to love me, not the bloody book worm. That love potion was guaranteed."

Later that year Ron Weasley did not even get picked for the Quidditch team, the new captain, her sisters' boyfriend, Colin Creevey, did not think Ron had the right temperament to be a team member.

Out in the Wizarding world.

With Voldemort going missing at the same time as Harry Potter, it was not long before the rumours began to spread around the wizarding world. The fact was that no one, not even his followers knew where the most evil wizard in recent history had vanished too without a trace, the rumours said he was destroyed by Harry Potter.

People soon noticed that immediately after the dark lord vanished Harry Potter seemed to have gone on a well earned vacation and wrote letters fairly regularly to his friends. First telling them he was taking a well earned break from the wizarding world, and later to inform them of his marriage to Hermione Granger. All the rumours that spread through the wizarding world gave the credit for Voldemort's disappearance to Harry Potter who was now known as the Wizard - who - won.

The Potters and Grangers settled down on the small island where the people were friendly and even the Muggles among them knew about magic.

Just over a year after arriving on the island there was a new resident welcomed as Andrew Richard Potter made his first appearance in to the world, his proud parents smiled as Andrew met his grandparents Helen and Richard for the first time.

As they sat together on their veranda overlooking the blue waters of the Caribbean and watched as the sun sank over the horizon, Hermione made Harry a whispered promise that Andrew would have plenty of brothers and sisters around him as he grew up, unlike them selves who grew up lonely. The future for Harry and Hermione Potter looked bright. It looked even brighter for their children, and all other future Potters.

20


End file.
